Revelations
by Mac-alicious
Summary: It's Friday Night. The Parents and kids are out. And Derek is grounded. When forced to spend time with Casey to disspell his boredom, he comes face to face with the Honest Truth.


**A/N: Here's another one-shot from me. Please R&R! Thanks! -Mac**

**Disclaimer: I don't own LWD.**

**Revelations**

It was Friday night, Nora and George had gone out with the kids, and Derek was grounded. And he was bored out of his mind. He couldn't go out, he couldn't watch TV, he couldn't get on his computer, he couldn't listen to music, he couldn't play video games...and the list went on. When he argued, his father gave him a choice between reading a book--a real _book_ not a magazine or comic--and bonding with Casey. Well, not much of a choice at all for him. He was stuck laying on his bed staring at the ceiling--_bored out of his mind_.

Finally he decided that Casey could offer him more amusement than nothing and he was down the stairs in a flash. He found her sitting on the couch reading a book--_typical_. Derek moved around the couch and plopped down next to her--making sure to shift around enough to draw her attention to him. When she finally looked away from her book, it was to glare at him.

"What do you want, Derek?"

"I'm bored, entertain me." Derek smirked, with all the maturity of a five year old.

"I don't think that's my job to do." Casey rolled her eyes. "It's not my fault you decided that curfew didn't apply to you."

"Come on Casey, please. I'm going out of my mind." Derek moaned dramatically.

"Did I just hear a please? Did that really come out of your mouth right now?" Casey looked shocked.

"Casey, seriously. My head is going to explode if I don't do something--anything." Derek replied. "And as long as I do it in the name of bonding of you, I can't get in trouble for it."

"Okay, what would you like to do?" Casey agreed. She closed her book and put it aside.

"How about a little game?" Derek suggested, though didn't name any game to play.

"Truth or dare?" Casey offered up the only game she could think of that wasn't listed as one of Derek's current restrictions.

"Overrated." Derek crinkled up his nose. "How about 'The Honest Truth?'"

"What is that? I've never heard of it before." Casey questioned, frowning.

"I don't know. I made it up." Derek threw up his hands, and Casey laughed. "The gist of it would be we go back and forth and we each make a statement of complete honesty."

"I don't know." Casey responded.

"Think of it as a way of getting to know each other." Derek could tell Casey still wasn't completely convinced. "Look, we'll start small."

"Okay, but you go first and it has to be something I don't already know about you." Casey replied. "Otherwise there would be no point."

"Fine, I'll go first." Derek thought about it a moment before he spoke. "It wasn't really my fault I was late for curfew this time. I was on my way home all set to be on time. But an accident forced me to take a detour and I ended up being late. My Dad wouldn't listen because I had been late almost three times in a row."

Casey considered that before saying hers. "I wouldn't have listened to you, either. But hearing this explanation. I believe you. You sound sincere."

From there they had gone back and forth with little tid bits--favorites, little quirks. But then it was about time to get to some bigger things. They had ran out of little things and they were more comfortable with each other. Derek suddenly started off with a really big one.

"I don't care what people think about me. I just play the role I was given." Derek said and, without further explanation, waited for Casey's response.

"I care about certain people's opinion of me." Casey countered, on the same subject. "A rare few." 

Changing the subject, "I can't dance very well, and I wish I could."

"If you asked me to, I would teach you."

"I would be too embarrassed to ask." Derek smiled and laughed lightly.

Casey smiled brightly and nudged him slightly. "I don't mind being around you as much as I let on."

Derek got a cocky smile on his face, but it turned serious as he responded, "I sometimes get the urge to just talk to you. But I usually stop myself."

"If you wanted to talk all you had to do is say so." Casey said, all seriousness. "I would have listened." 

Derek just stared at her with a quiet intensity after that. He was silently processing what she had said, and trying to decide what he should say as his statement. Casey stayed quiet because they seemed to have an unspoken agreement that they wouldn't rush each other or ask for further elaboration on any statement. She just waited, and eventually he spoke.

"I think you're an amazing person." Derek stated. Casey opened her mouth, but closed it again. She realized he wasn't finished. "I fight with you because if I can sink you to my level, I might be able to find a flaw."

Casey contemplated what he had to say, while trying to hide the blush caused by his compliment, "I think you could be one of the sweetest guys I know, if you didn't only show that side around Marti."

"It doesn't work." Derek blurted out but clarified when Casey looked confused. "Trying to find a flaw in you. Doesn't work. I haven't been able to fide a flaw in you. Not _one_."

"I hate the way you treat girls. That is the only problem I have with you. Well, that, and the superiority act you put on to get them." 

"I could stop." Derek admitted and lowered his head, "But I'm afraid that I have nothing to fall back on, _except_ my reputation."

"Those people I mentioned before, the ones whose opinions matter to me?" Casey said and Derek nodded. She continued, her voice lower, "You're one of them."

Derek's eyes shot up to meet hers. Suddenly, every mean thing he had said to her came back to him. She valued his opinion, she took him seriously. And all he did was insult her. He felt really bad about everything he had said to her. Though the truth was he valued her opinion of him and she had said some things that stung him as well. All he could really say is he knew how she felt.

He really wished things were different--and not just between them, but with their entire situation. It wasn't a new feeling either. He had felt it for awhile and it was accompanied by an intense feeling of guilt. And as he thought about it, he knew what he was going to say next.

"I feel guilty." Derek replied simply. That was new to Casey. She didn't know him to ever feel guilty or regretful for anything. "There are times when I wish my Dad and Nora didn't get married."

"Me too." Casey agreed, playing off his to make her statement. "I love how happy my mom has been, but it kind of puts me in a bad position."

"I lie all the time--and not the kind you can catch me in. I mean I can make you believe them." Derek explained. "I lie to my dad, my friends, _you_." 

"Might be a surprise to you, but I lie all the time too." Casey responded, leaving it at that.

"I have a secret." Derek confessed after a moment of thought. "I've never shared it with anyone."

"I have a secret too." Casey nodded in agreement. "I could never tell anyone about it."

Derek could only wonder what Casey's secret was. He only knew that he would have to choose his next words wisely. He didn't know it it would be going too far to reveal his secret--if it would make her feel obligated to reveal hers. He didn't know if he should just end the game then and there. And then he made up his mind.

"I like you." Derek said quickly. He turned away too late to go back.

Casey smiled, her cheeks growing warm as she looked away. "I like you too."

Derek tried to contain the surprise that erupted in him. He tried to catch her eyes, but Casey wouldn't look at him. She was wringing her hands in her lap and she wouldn't look away from them. Derek concentrated on watching her fingers as he tried to find the right words to say. But Casey beat him to it.

Casey nervously spoke up as she began to stand, "I guess we're done with that. I'm jut going to...go...now..."

Casey grabbed her book and was almost to the stairs a second later. Derek jumped up and folllowed immediately after her.

"Casey, wait!"

Casey turned around clutching her book to her chest. Derek walked all the way over, until he was right in front of her. Casey started to say something but didn't get a chance to. Derek surprised her by capturing her lips in a gentle kiss. She let out a little squeak of surprise before she relaxed and started to kiss him back. His hands found their way into her hair. And as Casey reached to put her arms around him, she dropped her book. The soft thud of the book hitting the floor brought them back to their senses and they broke apart--both with bright smiles on their faces.

"Okay." Derek said. "I guess we're done with that."

"Yeah." Casey nodded. "I'm just going to go upstairs now."

"Yeah." Derek responded, and quickly dipped down to pick up her book.

He handed it to her and she took it with a smile. She headed for the stairs and he took a couple steps back toward the couch. Derek watched her disappear up the stairs before he went back to sit on the couch. He threw himself rather unceremoniously onto the couch, letting out a contented sigh.

Derek cracked a smile for his benefit alone. "Wow." 

Derek became rather absorbed in his thoughts as he sat there. He was still there when George, Nora and the kids got back home. George was carrying a sleeping Marti and immediately headed up the stairs, followed by Lizzie. Nora went for the kitchen and Edwin plopped down next to Derek.

"So how was your night, Derek? Hope you weren't too bored with the whole grounded restrictions thing." Edwin replied.

"Actually I wasn't bored at all. I had a gr--" Derek caught himself. "I had an _okay_ night."

"Good to hear." Edwin nodded, standing and going for the stairs.

Derek sat back against the couch cushions. He brought his hands up to rest behind his head as he smirked. It had been a great night. And that was the Honest Truth.


End file.
